17-Year-Old Photographer Displays Skill in Creating Surreal Imagery

Belgium-based photographer Ian Komac displays uncommon skill, talent, and vision in his depiction of dreamlike images. He shoots and creates surreal imagery in dense forest setting, as well as some peculiar indoor photos. While these pictures are able to convey that illusory and bizarre quality that is the trademark of surreal photography, what really comes as surprise is the age of the lens man involved. Komac is merely 17 years old.

As a photography enthusiast, he has been polishing his craft from a very young age, evolving his skill set both behind the camera and in photo manipulation. Komac displays a vision with his photography that would imply a much older person shooting and creating these images. After the completion of his final exams this school year, the youthful photographer embarked on a 60 Days of Summerproject.

Barely halfway into this project, Komac has been shooting some impressive images which he has been uploading to both his Flickr and Facebook accounts. What we see consistently is the element of the often strange or weird that is present in our dream-like experiences. Everyday objects behave unnaturally, such as liquid pouring out of a pot that seems suspended in mid-air, or a giant vintage rotary telephone strangely on a forest path, as well as several shots with mystical looking lights.

The photos certainly announce that Komac has the talent, and should be followed closely as he matures in his craft. They draw the viewers into this magical land where Komac is able to manipulate and bend many mundane occurrences, objects and locations by adding an element or two to straddle that line between reality and fantasy. It would also be notable to add that many of the props used were either Komac’s personal belongings or from his family.

Here is a behind-the-scenes look at one of Komac’s photos:

“The cup and the tea pot were from my grandparents and I’ve always liked using their stuff to create photos,” said Komac. He also seems to take a liking to vintage stuff, saying, “I absolutely love this old phone, I really want to plug it in and use it again. Not sure if it still works but it did a few years back when I got it. fingers crossed!”

As the summer finals are put aside, this 17-year-old photographer has certainly got his undivided attention on 60 Days of Summer. Komac’s work is certainly being closely watched and we eagerly anticipate his forthcoming creations before he completes the summer project.

I am a freelance photographer who is no stranger to smudged lenses, long hours in front of the computer, heavy camera bags (and the back aches that ensued) and missing lens caps. If you know what I'm talking about, you probably have as much love and passion for photography as I do.